Golden State Warriors sign ex-Palo Alto High star Jeremy Lin

The Warrior's newest player, Jeremy Lin spins a ball for the media on... ( ALEX WASHBURN )


Golden State Warriors sign ex-Palo Alto High star Jeremy Lin
By Marcus Thompson II
The Warriors officially landed a player who is turning out to be a cult figure.

Guard Jeremy Lin, a Bay Area native who played at Harvard, signed a two-year deal with the Warriors on Wednesday afternoon. A press conference was held Wednesday to introduce Lin following his signing.

"Obviously playing in the NBA would have been a dream come true, but this is really a dream come true," said Lin. "This is the team I grew up cheering for and this is the one team I really, really wanted to play for."

Lin, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound combo guard who was undrafted out of Harvard, played for the Dallas Mavericks summer league and piqued the interest of several teams with his play. But the former Palo Alto High School star chose the Warriors, his favorite team growing up.

Lin's deal is partially guaranteed this year, and the Warriors hold a team option for the second season.

The Warriors needed a point guard after trading C.J. Watson to the Chicago Bulls. Lin is going to get his chance to fill that void. The Warriors could still go out and get a veteran point guard. That would allow time for Lin — who has the game of a shooting guard but needs to play point at the pro level — to develop without pressure.

Lin would become the first Asian born in the United States to play in the NBA since San Jose's Rex Walters, the current University of San Francisco coach.
Golden State also has guard Monta Ellis and Charlie Bell as
options at point guard to spell starter Stephen Curry


Palo Alto native Jeremy Lin draws much attention at Warriors news conference

By Marcus Thompson II

mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 07/21/2010 09:40:34 PM PDT
Updated: 07/21/2010 09:58:55 PM PDT

Rookie guard Jeremy Lin signed his two-year deal with the Warriors on Wednesday, and the moment ink touched paper, he perhaps became the most popular player on the roster.

"I don't think I've ever been a part of something like this before," Lin, a Palo Alto native, said from the players' lounge at the Warriors' downtown facility in Oakland. "This is unbelievable. Words can't really express my feelings right now and how happy I am and how grateful I am. This is crazy."

General manager Larry Riley said the serious talks began in earnest Monday. He was won over by Lin's play for the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team in Las Vegas.

"Boy, he had a nice summer league," Riley said. "He was pretty good most of the time. I wouldn't base it on one game."

Lin-sanity has hit the Bay Area since word of his signing with the Warriors broke Tuesday.

That an undrafted rookie out of Harvard with a partially guaranteed contract had an introductory news conference is odd enough on its own. But Lin drew more media members than the draft or the news conference introducing the No. 6 overall pick, Ekpe Udoh, illustrating Lin's pull in the Bay Area.

But that wasn't the only reason the 6-foot-3 Lin signed with the Warriors. According to multiple sources, he got offers from Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. He even got a counteroffer that possibly topped the Warriors' deal.

In the end, Lin couldn't pass up the chance to play for his
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favorite team growing up. Plus, he has been assured he will have a chance to compete for playing time.

The first order of business for Lin is to develop a more consistent jumper and adapt to the NBA 3-point range. Riley said he also wants to see Lin develop his defense.

Still, Riley said Lin will get every opportunity to earn the 10 or so minutes available behind starting point guard Stephen Curry. He wasn't just brought on to be the 15th man.

Riley, who still has three open roster spots, might add another guard. He said he wants some experience on the bench, but he also wanted the 21-year-old Lin. Even if the Warriors had been able to keep Watson, the veteran point guard they traded to Chicago, Riley said he would have signed Lin.

"From my point of view, I'm ready to go," Lin said. "I feel like I'm ready to play, and I feel like my game is very suitable for the NBA style, because I'm a slasher and there's a lot of pick-and-rolls."

As a senior at Harvard, Lin was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the nation's top point guard. He averaged 16.4 points and 4.6 assists per game.

In 2006, Lin led Palo Alto High to a victory over powerhouse Mater Dei for the state championship.

WHAT JEREMY LIN SAID

The Warriors" newest player, answered questions at the team"s practice facility Wednesday.
On his game: